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Role of Energy Consultant/Engineer in a new build

  • 13-09-2014 9:20pm
    #1
    thebackbar
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 468 ✭✭


    Hi Folks,

    I'm in the planning stage of a new build. I'm currently thinking ahead about insulation and heating systems. Traditionally all this would of been left to the architect to decide/advise. Given the myriad of options and regulations related to heating and insulation i feel as though i need to bring on board a energy consultant to give that extra bit of advice i need ? Have many people taken this approach ? How did it work with your architect ?

    thanks


Comments

  • #2
    MicktheMan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,880 ✭✭✭MicktheMan


    thebackbar wrote: »
    1. I'm currently thinking ahead about insulation and heating systems.
    2. Given the myriad of options and regulations related to heating and insulation i feel as though i need to bring on board a energy consultant to give that extra bit of advice i need ?
    3. Have many people taken this approach ?

    1. Forget about heating for a while and concentrate on the thermal envelope fabric first (air tightness, thermal bridging, insulation). If the fabric is optimised, then heating becomes a lot simpler.
    2. There are some arctitects and architectural technicians with the training and experience to be able to do this for you. If your architect isn't one of these and is one who basically "bolts" things on in order to comply with b regs, then, imo, yes you need an energy consultant's input early in the process.
    3. Imo, not nearly enough. I'm regularly called in after the house is built and lived in for a while to test the house why it's cost a fortune to heat, why it cools down rapidly after the heating is turned off, why is isn't comfortable or why there is damp & mould in parts of the house. The one recurring statement/question I hear is "we should have spoken to someone like you before we built" / "why didn't we speak to someone like you before we built?"

    My advice is, if you are not confident your architect can deliver what you think you are getting, speak to an energy consultant about bringing him/her on board (but also check the credentials of the this person too as there is a lot more to it than just inputting data into DEAP to produce a BER cert & compliance report)


  • #3
    RITwing
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 246 ✭✭RITwing


    Find someone close to you from this list to work with you and your architect. Well done you for spotting the need few others do.


  • #4
    thebackbar
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 468 ✭✭thebackbar


    Thanks for the feedback folks !


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